When clicked, the above image links to my Winter Party 2007 - 2nd Annual Family Picnic photoset which currently features only a few uncropped and unedited images. However, once back in DC I will have access to my photo editing software and at that time, will upload more images from the event.

Friday, March 02, 2007

Brett Henrichsen started the Masterbeat label in 1996 with the goal of allowing the gay community to “take home the music” from dance events around the country. The Masterbeat brand quickly became a worldwide success and has released more than 60 compilations, including CDs for events such as Winter Party, White Party and Gay Days. Henrichsen took his passion for dance music to the next level by becoming a DJ in 2000.

Richard, unlike me, is not too much into 'circuit' or 'club' music. I, on the otherhand, am a bird of a different feathers. While my interest, definately, lie in the documentation of these kind of events as important and historic reflections of gay life/culture ... the driving force behind why I attend circuit events has a great deal to do with my love for the music and, of course, THE DJs.

It was around this time last year that I heard news that I.M Pei had designed several buildings in the Southwest area of Washington DC. According to the reports, including residential apartment buildings. Though, at the time, Richard and speculated as to which ones they may have been, since then, not only have I inquired of long-time SWers but have also searched the internet for information pertaining to I. M. Pei's architectural contributions to Southwest DC community.

Southwest Washington was once a working class and commercial sector of the city near the waterfront. But urban renewal ... or literal urban removal ... essentially wiped the area off the map. (The building of the Southwest Freeway helped too.). Architect I.M. Pei designed the L'Enfant Plaza Complex in the mid-1960s.

The four identical apartment towers, located just off the four corners of Waterside Mall, were initally called Town Center Plaza. The buildings were one of several projects of I. M. Pei, which resulted in his receiving the Brunner Award of the National Institute of Arts and Letters.

Run across 12th Street to the west side of the Old Post Office Pavilion, proceed a few more feet (north) to the entrance at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue. When placing my items through the security check point - explaining to the guards that though my intention was to photograph the musical entertainment I inquired if there were any photography restrictions pertaining to other areas of the mall.

They said no. And that I should feel free to photograph what ever my heart desired. Which, though surprised, in these times of Homeland Security, made me very happy.

Coyaba Dance Theater director Sylvia Soumah’s new work Destiny is an inspiring evening demonstrating how you can change your destiny and ultimately end up where you want to be. Through both traditional and contemporary forms of West African dance and music, Coyaba’s dancers and drummers “[stir] the soul and [get] hearts pumping” (Washington Post). The company will celebrate their 10th Anniversary Season with a reception on Saturday March 3 prior to the show. Tickets for the reception and performance on Saturday, March 3 are $40.

With news of the then (still) pending demolition and eventual redevelopment of what initially was named as The Town Center and what for many years I had known as Waterside Mall, it was one year ago on Saturday, 25 February 2006, that I photographed the "SW: Then & Now" photographic display at what in recent years has been referred to as the Waterfront Mall located at 4th and M Streets, in SW, WDC.

When searching the internet for information pertaining to the historiography project I learned that plans were formulated in the fall of 1999 when the Southwest History Task Force (HTF) was founded to create a photo exhibition for the Mall, that would show the history and main features of SW.

When in the spring of 2000, that HTF heard news that DC and its neighborhoods were to be the featured areas for the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival, HTF curated the "Southwest Then and Now" Exhibit which opened on June 30th, the first week end of the Festival. With a symposium held in the old Roy Rogers space in the Mall.

Since then, and under the auspices of the DC Heritage Tourism Coalition, several historiographic projects have been developed. In particular, the Southwest Heritage Trail and its accompanying Wayfinding Signage Project and Walking Tour of Southwest.

Southwest has about 28 of the old fire and police call boxes still remaining on the streets. Mark Farrell has taken on the chairmanship of this Project and will be working to find artists and sponsors for each box. Historic documents or photos will be inserted in the boxes to accompany the Heritage Trail. Mark is looking for artists and for sponsors of boxes to help select their historic material and to help maintain and monitor the health of their box. Call Mark at 484-0132 if you would like to help.

Monday, February 26, 2007

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Inc., American Civil Liberties Union and the Human Rights Campaign are working together to engage more lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans in the national campaign to end workplace discrimination for LGBT workers. The campaign, which urges LGBT people who have faced job discrimination to share their stories, will be used to boost lobbying efforts for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), a federal bill that would protect LGBT people against workplace discrimination, and for similar state proposals.

National Building Museum volunteers range from interns to docents to information specialists, all giving their time to activities such as organizing archives, leading tours, and staffing Museum festivals. Last year, volunteers donated nearly 12,500 hours to the Museum, playing an integral role in the operation of the institution.

While some NBM volunteers are behind the scenes, many of the most visible ones are the docents, who lead tours of the Museum's historic home and exhibitions.

The term "docent" derives from the Latin word ducere, meaning to lead. NBM docents are trained to offer thought-provoking and interactive experiences that guide visitors in their own learning processes. Docents participate in four hours of weekly instruction over a six-week period, attending sessions with architectural and DC historians, curators, Museum staff, and others to prepare for their tours. They also enjoy enrichment activities designed to enhance their knowledge and volunteer experience.

Learn about the Museum’s docent program and see if you’d like to give tours of the Museum’s historic home and groundbreaking exhibitions. After this introductory session, training begins in mid-March and continues through April.

The National Building Museum is hosting a free Docent Training Open House tomorrow evening on Tuesday, 27 February 2007, from 6 till 8 pm.

Registration required by emailing kcotner@nbm.org. For more information on docent or other Museum volunteer opportunities, please call Kristi Cotner at 202.272.2448, ext. 3302, or visit www.nbm.org for an application.

Sunday, February 25, 2007

In honor of Black History Month, NLEOMF Chairman Craig W. Floyd remembers African-American officers killed in the line of duty throughout history.

Pictured is Jacob J. Chestnut, an 18-year police veteran, who along with U.S. Capitol Police Detective John Gibson was slain at the U.S. Capitol, in July 1998, by crazed gunman named Russell Weston Jr..

Officer Chestnut represents one of 13 African Americans killed in federal law enforcement service and is among the nearly 600 who have made the ultimate sacrifice throughout our nation's history.